John Burroughs Papers

Primarily writings by and photographs of naturalist and philosopher John Burroughs and his family and friends.

Biographical / Historical Note

John Burroughs was born on April 3, 1837 on his family's farm in Roxbury, New York. As a child he spent much of his time reading, writing, and working on the farm. He attended the Hedding Literary Institute and the Cooperstown Seminary before leaving home to become a teacher. Burroughs began keeping journals in 1854 when he was seventeen. His first published essay was "Fragments from the Table of an Intellectual Epicure" in 1860 and his first significant published piece was "Expression" in the Atlantic Monthly that same year.

Burroughs married Ursula North in 1857. Soon after, the couple moved to Washington, D.C. where Burroughs worked for the U.S. Treasury. In 1871 he took a position as a bank examiner in New York and built his home Riverby on a vineyard in West Park. In 1881 he constructed his Bark Study just off the main house, a retreat where he added to his growing body of essays and other work. By 1885 he gave up his bank position to write and enjoy his environment. Later, Burroughs would divide his time between Slabsides, his summer retreat at West Park and Woodchuck Lodge in Roxbury. Burroughs essays ranged from studies of birds and nature to religion and literature and his work was enjoyed by scholars and laypeople alike. Publishing widely, Burroughs became well known and received numerous awards and honorary degrees. He and his wife had one adopted son, Julius.

Less

Scope and Content Note

The papers are comprised of four series. The Education Related Material series, 1854- 1901 (0.2 cubic ft.) contains a teaching certificate, two school catalogs, a letter of recommendation, and a set of thank you letters. The letters were sent from a class of children for whom Burroughs had led a nature walk. The Writings series, 1856-1907 and undated (0.2 cubic ft.) holds several handwritten manuscripts, a poem, an account book, and three periodicals that have articles written by Burroughs. There is also a unique wildflower album with a bark cover created by Burroughs in 1898. Burroughs creativity is also documented in two volumes of artwork, design layout, proofs and type repros for the limited edition book, In Nature's Laboratory, which records the camping trip in 1916 of Burroughs, Edison, and Firestone. The Photographs series, 1882-1915 and undated (2.0 cubic ft.) includes a two volume Souvenir of the Harriman Alaska Expedition, 1899; an album of cartes de visite portraits of friends and family; a set of thirty-seven glass plate negatives (images taken by Burroughs son, Julius); and a subseries of snapshots and photographs of Burroughs with friends, family, visitors and his homes and travels. A Miscellaneous series, 1896-1909 (0.2 cubic ft.) is comprised of a handprint of John Burroughs and several pages from a scrapbook. Researchers should note that handwritten notes describing some of the material were made by the donor, Elizabeth Burroughs Kelley, granddaughter of John Burroughs.

Less

Collection Details

Object ID: 93.205.0
Creator: Burroughs, John, 1837-1921
Inclusive Dates: 1854-1915
Size: 3.6 cubic ft.
Language: English

Collection Access & Use

Item Location: Benson Ford Research Center

Access Restrictions: The papers are open for research.

Credit: From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Keywords

Burroughs, John, 1837-1921

Burroughs, Julian, 1878-1954

Burroughs, Ursula North, 1836-1917

Kelley, Elizabeth Burroughs, 1903-1999

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Digitized Artifacts From This Collection

In many cases, not all artifacts have been digitized.
Contact us for more information about this collection.

Teaching Certificate for John Burroughs, from Orange Township, New Jersey, February 7, 1860

Teaching Certificate for John Burroughs, from Orange Township, New Jersey, February 7, 1860 (back)

Teaching Certificate for John Burroughs, from Orange Township, New Jersey, February 7, 1860

Details

Teaching Certificate for John Burroughs, from Orange Township, New Jersey, February 7, 1860

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org

Artifact

Certificate

Date Made

05 February 1860

Summary

Before John Burroughs (1837-1921) became an internationally known naturalist and writer he earned a living as a teacher. In 1860, Burroughs -- twenty-three, married and an aspiring writer -- taught briefly in Essex County, New Jersey. Later that year he wrote an essay that was published in the Atlantic Monthly. The article gained widespread recognition and changed the course of Burroughs's life.

Place of Creation

United States, New Jersey, Orange